“Hold your head high, stick your chest out. You can make it. It gets dark sometimes, but morning comes. Keep hope alive.”
Jesse Jackson

Sometimes the old things are the best things.

All this talk of squad change this, Torres that and Romelu Lukaku the other.

But when the storm clouds were gathering, when the sun was setting, when the light was dimming for the last time on Chelsea’s season, it was the old guard who held the torch high, it was tried-and true Blues who found the path, it was Chelsea’s honored veterans who won the game.

Here’s the passing sequence for winning goal with just 2 minutes left in regulation time. Read it and relish a trip down the memory lane of the most wonderful decade in Chelsea’s history.

Terry-Anelka-Lampard-Drogba-Kalou.

Terry, who had yet another outstanding match. Anelka, scorned, banished to the bench and perhaps on his way out. Lampard, having one of his best matches of the season, strong and lucky and firing canon shots at the goal. Drogba, simply sensational yet again, fighting for his future. And Kalou, the man who thinks he’s earned a starting role and who refused to smile when he scored the winning goal.

Honored veterans every one of them. Leading the way when all seemed lost. Holding a light high and saying ‘Follow me!”

This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
TS Eliot

In order to have light, you must also have dark.

And for a sickening spell it looked like Chelsea’s season was lost. Whimpering in a fog of lost passes and broken down attacks as time was expiring.

Indeed, Tottenham are well within their rights to claim they were cheated of a victory that might have kept their Champions League hopes alive.

Frank Lampard’s goal wasn’t a goal. 9 months late, he finally got a goal-line call to go his way. Gomes has now bungled two balls in  month and his confidence must be lower than a snake’s belly.

Solomon Kalou was offside for the winning score.

“Anyone who understands football will know that we need to have TV replays, yet this debate has been going on for years and the powers that be just won’t help the officials,” said Harry Redknapp.

Only Spurs’ goal was the genuine article, a fabulous blast from 30 yards by holding midfielder Sandro. Boss Redknapp wasn’t amused, immediately pulling the Brazilian over to remind him he had no business straying so far forward.

That’s uncharacteristic of the attack-minded Redknapp and a sign of how much was riding on this result. Indeed, for long stretches of the second half Spurs kept 10  men behind the ball.

With Chelsea reluctant to freely deploy their fullbacks in the face of Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale, their play became narrow. Attacks foundered repeatedly in a pile of bodies at the top of Tottenham’s box.

Ancelotti threw Ramires, Kalou and Anelka at the problem and finally got his breakthrough.

Among those pulled was a peeved Fernando Torres. Peeved, because he was actually having a decent game. Perhaps not quick enough yet. Perhaps not deft enough yet. But close and getting closer.

In the Great Experiment, Carlo played a 4-3-3 with Drogba-Torres-Malouda up front and it actually seemed to work.

Whether or not Carlo believes it worked well enough to try again, we’ll find out on Sunday.

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Dylan Thomas

And so there it is. As these words are written we don’t yet know the result of Arsenal-Manchester United.

But Chelsea are already mentally gearing up for one more titanic clash at Old Trafford.

The Blues trail the Red Devils by a scant 3 points. Who’d have thought that was possible back in February, when the gap was a yawning chasm of 15?

Accusations that this squad had quit never rang true. And so it has proved. With good health has come good results. The fight never left these men. The luck did. And now it’s back, thanks in large part to two assistant referees.

But Chelsea will also remember a clear penalty not given.

Alex Ferguson was in attendance. He left with 15 minutes to go. He felt he’d seen all he wanted to see.

But he didn’t see all he needed to see.  He didn’t see the heart that refuses to stop beating. He didn’t see new life in old legs. He didn’t see proud Chelsea veterans who are not ready to go quietly into that good night.

It’s been an eventful 3 months for Chelsea’s newest darling, David Luiz.

Since coming to Stamford Bridge he’s won two massive games with his scoring. His goal against Manchester United made him an instant terrace favorite. Fans had sprouted Sideshow Bob wigs by the time he repeated the deed against Manchester City.

There’s a lot to love about David Luiz as a central defender.

He has good size and strength; excellent speed and agility; he’s nimble on his feet; he heads the ball well. He’s extremely aggressive. He plays hard. He’s an attacking threat.

And he could help extended John Terry’s career. With his ability to cover ground, Terry’s lack of pace is protected.

Sounds great.

So why were Benfica playing him at left back?

It may be that David Luiz’s temperament and judgment aren’t well suited to being the last line of defense.

His first instinct when confronted with the ball is to charge at it. He likes to body-up against his man and poke a toe at the ball. He doesn’t instinctively fall back and maintain his position between the ball and his goal.

This natural aggressiveness has already been a problem. Too often he allows the man and the ball to get behind him.

His poor challenge at midfield on a John Walters breakaway at Stoke City cost Chelsea a goal. Against West Bromwich Albion he shared the blame for a goal. Rather than falling back, he stepped into the middle of a Morrison to Thomas movement up the middle and missed the ball. Odemwingie was released behind the defense and scored.

And he’s a bit of a monster at giving away penalties. In just 9 games he’s already conceded two, against Fulham and Birmingham City. Both were sloppy, unnecessary, over-aggressive challenges.

See the pattern here?

That’s probably why Luiz wasn’t a center-back for Benfica. What we’re seeing in England matches the scouting report we got from Portugal.

This is who David Luiz is, the good and the bad.

Given that central defense isn’t a place where you can afford mistakes, it seems reasonable to ask the question that was asked and answered at the Estadio da Luz: should Luiz play a position other than center-back?
Let’s consider the options. Left back is locked-up by Ashley Cole. But Chelsea have a problem at right back. Luiz has a pretty decent right foot, as Manchester United can attest. Perhaps Ivanovic can move back to his preferred role in the center of the defense, where he’s been a rock. And Chelsea can exploit Luiz’s speed and skill by putting him at right back. He certainly has the pace to take on defenders.

Or he could move up the pitch a bit as a holding midfielder. make a mistake there and it isn’t as costly as at the back. And his attacking flair could add a dimension to the position that neither Mikel nor Essien have been able to muster this season.

So let’s put the question to you.

Given his strengths and his weaknesses, where would you play David Luiz?

• Center Back


• Right Back


• Holding Midfielder



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